
On the day KT Tunstall agrees to give me a guitar lesson (which winds up being more like a private performance when I prove hopeless with chords), she's wearing a crazy getup of black cropped pants, kick-around saddle boots, a black-and-white tunic that wouldn't have been out of place at a Clash show, and a necklace that looks like it could seriously injure a small child. A chunk of her bangs has been bleached; her nails are below-the-tip short. Her guitar has a giant divot near the sound hole from her aggressive strumming.
"I've always listened to more alternative music than I make. I love Arcade Fire and Beck and Tom Waits and The Flaming Lips—bands that push boundaries," says the Scottish singer. Her other idol? Jack White, whom she met backstage at a festival they both played. She handed him a note. "It said, 'Did I ever tell you you're my hero?' He gave me a big hug. That made my summer."
Tunstall, 32, blew up stateside last year with the release of the platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated Eye to the Telescope, a sunny collection that featured the gems "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" and "Suddenly I See," which backed the opening montage in The Devil Wears Prada. "After the first album, my record company and my manager were like, 'We knew you were going to be this big.' And I was like, 'No, you didn't.' Because, on paper, '28-year-old Scottish folk singer' is not a good recipe for global success. Sounds like Phoebe from Friends."
This month, she releases her sophomore effort, Drastic Fantastic. "There's definitely a bit more punk spirit in this album than in the first one, so we might see fewer grannies at our shows," she laughs. "But I love grannies!" Though she's got serious indie cred on her iPod, her goal is to write songs everyone can enjoy. "I hate music that's exclusive and makes people feel they shouldn't be at a show. It's such rubbish. It's a place for people to congregate, not to judge each other."
Marie Claire Newsletter
Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!
-
Serena Williams Shared a Message of Hope on Her "Not OK" Day
She's accepting every life experience as it comes.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
Dressing the Culture Class
Over a decade after launching her label, Daniella Kallmeyer is still just a cool girl creating the wardrobe we all want.
By Mattie Kahn
-
Jennifer Aniston Asked Fans to Support the Matthew Perry Foundation: "He Would Have Been Grateful for the Love"
The world lost Perry on Oct. 28.
By Iris Goldsztajn
-
The Best Bollywood Movies of 2023 (So Far)
Including one that just might fill the Riverdale-shaped hole in your heart.
By Andrea Park
-
‘Bachelor in Paradise’ 2023: Everything We Know
Cue up Mike Reno and Ann Wilson’s “Almost Paradise."
By Andrea Park
-
Who Is Gerry Turner, the ‘Golden Bachelor’?
The Indiana native is the first senior citizen to join Bachelor Nation.
By Andrea Park
-
‘Virgin River’ Season 6: Everything We Know
The cast and crew are pausing the hit show in support of the writers' strike.
By Andrea Park
-
The 60 Best Musical Movies of All Time
All the dance numbers! All the show tunes!
By Amanda Mitchell
-
'Ginny & Georgia' Season 2: Everything We Know
Netflix owes us answers after that ending.
By Zoe Guy
-
35 Nude Movies With Porn-Level Nudity
Lots of steamy nudity ahead.
By Kayleigh Roberts
-
The Cast of 'The Crown' Season 5: Your Guide
The Mountbatten-Windsors have been recast—again.
By Andrea Park